How much will it cost to buy a small flat?

Since you are a foreigner, it will only be possible for you to purchase a condominium type of investment.  As in many countries, prices for real estate vary widely depending on the location that you chose to live.  For  example, a small flat, somewhere between one and five million pesos will be a possible range of prices.   Your cost of living is also impossible to estimate.  Since you mention a small flat, your living costs could vary between thirty thousand and three hundred thousand pesos per month as well.

Hello egalex and welcome.
How long is a piece of string ??  Housing depends on where you are, what standard of living you will put up with, how long you stay and other personal tastes.
Land cannot be owned by foreign nationals.  Have you been to the Philippines before ? I would suggest a visit to see the conditions here before you embark on a major relocation.
regards  Bruce

Bob604 wrote:

Since you are a foreigner, it will only be possible for you to purchase a condominium type of investment.  As in many countries, prices for real estate vary widely depending on the location that you chose to live.  For  example, a small flat, somewhere between one and five million pesos will be a possible range of prices.   Your cost of living is also impossible to estimate.  Since you mention a small flat, your living costs could vary between thirty thousand and three hundred thousand pesos per month as well.

How much it is by dollars? or what does the dollar equal in peso?

GoDees wrote:

Hello egalex and welcome.
How long is a piece of string ??  Housing depends on where you are, what standard of living you will put up with, how long you stay and other personal tastes.
Land cannot be owned by foreign nationals.  Have you been to the Philippines before ? I would suggest a visit to see the conditions here before you embark on a major relocation.
regards  Bruce

No, unfortunately, I have never been in the Philippines before. I do not ask about land, though it was good from you to tell me about a land situation, in fact, I ask about a small flat like "studio".

Hello again
I think you should have a look at post by bigpearl on best place for housing on line discussion on this site.  My thoughts are it is probably best to rent short time, 6 to 12 months then decide if and where you want to live. Gives you breathing space to make your best choice.  Getting an unfurnished condo and furnishing it yourself works out cheaper for 12 months or more lease.
regards  Bruce

thank you GoDees

you can buy land if you are married to a pinay.
You can live for as little as 800 a month or 5000 a month.
American dollars.
Renting i think is the best way to go. I'm moving to phils next year permanently.
Province area in southern leyte. Its nice safe and real cheap there compared to manila

Hmmmm, yeah I know everything will be easy if I was married to Pinay but unfortunately, I am not married yet. still single 

egalex wrote:

Hmmmm, yeah I know everything will be easy if I was married to Pinay but unfortunately, I am not married yet. still single 

As stated previously you need to rent for at least a year, and since you have never been to the Philippines you need to explore what areas may be for you.  A lot of reading will be required, you can get the pesos to dollars info online every day.  Good luck.

small flat? depends on what you call a small flat? You cannot build anything or own a house and or property with out being married to a Philippine woman.
I am moving there permanently in 14 months. I expect to spend about 100k on a very nice house right on the beach so I will have no rent. Then live off my savings spending about 20 to 30 thousand pesos a month. then i have 50 years to live so that will be 100 since im 50 now. If you don't have at least 200k American in the bank I wouldn't go to live there unless you plan on coming back in about 2 years

hello....i am renting a firnished condo in CEBU for $200 a month.....i have been in thailand and the philippines the last 15 years.....Saturday i will look at a 2 bedroom house with furnishing for $12,500 us dollars....also found another one for $16,000 dollars but needs work....Both are near the ocean....You pay cash and put in a filipinas name...then you lease it from them...its easy....I have a cottage in Negros island already....Bought the land and built a cute small cottage there......no problems.....JOE

Those prices must not include western amenities like running water and sewer, tile brick. If they do is it in a safe area? What builder did you use? I'm interested because even to buy a plot of land in leyte that is 3000 square meters is 10 to 70 grand American dollars. is that like a nippa hut for that cost. A lot that is 100 square meters? Please help. I'm looking to build as well. My wife is Philippine so I can buy in her name. But not finding anything close to those prices you are talking about without it being a farm house on ag land which you can not live on lawfully

Hi,

Cost of living depends on where you want to live. Do you want to live in the city?  Let me know if you need more info. I am also currently renting or selling my place if you want to get more info

I appreciate that but I don't want cebu. I would rather live on Bohol.

Qualcuno saprebbe dirmi qual'è il prezzo della vita aggiornato al 2020 o meglio al 2021.
Considerando che conosco le Filippine,  mia moglie è Filippina, andiamo lì in vacanza, e non è la stessa cosa, in quanto stiamo lì solitamente 3 settimane, e si gira molto.
Abbiamo una casa a Laguna,  zona che a me non piace, ma lì ci sono i suoi parenti !
A me piace molto il mare, ma soprattutto amo la cultura, l'arte, dunque girare abbastanza per vedere e fotografare , conoscere i vari aspetti delle infinite isole Filippine.
Il tutto distribuito nel tempo, non tutto e subito, altrimenti il budget è da turista, e non di questo che stiamo parlando.
Grazie a tutti, e buona giornata.
Francesco

100,000 pesos to buy a house on the beach? 🤣😂 hahaha

I love this feedback. Thanks

This is funny

Yes, you do realize that 100,000 pesos is a little bit over $2,000 USD right? Perhaps you meant $100,000?

Might be able to get a small place(house or flat only) because you have to rent or lease the land(cant own land in PI -only Philippino born can) for 5-10 million pesos 100,000 to 200,000 usd. Gougers here because the locals know that foreigners will pay what locals cant. Philippinos think ALL foreigners are rich. Why would anyone wanna buy or build a home here when you cant own it? Never will! Trying to impress your Pinay or wife gf? Dumb! you spend the dough and she dies then the house goes  to her family. You become another set up loser! She will press you to buy.DONT do it! If shes sincere and loves you she will be happy to live with you in a rental. Before marrying a Pinay ALWAYS get a pre-nuptial by an honest attorney!....Jimmy

NEVER EVER buy land or open a business in this country unless you wanna lose your pants. Its my advice! JIMMYI(have lived here 9 years already and was a previous business owner in California.) DONT DO IT!

capricornrising wrote:

Might be able to get a small place(house or flat only) because you have to rent or lease the land(cant own land in PI -only Philippino born can) for 5-10 million pesos 100,000 to 200,000 usd. Gougers here because the locals know that foreigners will pay what locals cant. Philippinos think ALL foreigners are rich. Why would anyone wanna buy or build a home here when you cant own it? Never will! Trying to impress your Pinay or wife gf? Dumb! you spend the dough and she dies then the house goes  to her family. You become another set up loser! She will press you to buy.DONT do it! If shes sincere and loves you she will be happy to live with you in a rental. Before marrying a Pinay ALWAYS get a pre-nuptial by an honest attorney!....Jimmy

Concerning prenup:
There is a kind of "aiutomatic prenup" in Phils.   From REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8533

Section 2. Exclusive Property of Each Spouse

Art. 109. The following shall be the exclusive property of each spouse:
      (1) That which is brought to the marriage as his or her own;
      (2) That which each acquires during the marriage by gratuitous title;
      (3) That which is acquired by right of redemption, by barter or by exchange with property belonging to only one of the spouses; and
      (4) That which is purchased with exclusive money of the wife or of the husband. (148a)

http://www.chanrobles.com/executiveorde … WObleS1k8o

- -
Why do you continue saying the red marked?  That's FALSE.
When married then the foreigner inherit WHOLE if she has no kids, and allways over half if any kid. Then the foireigner have some time to solve the owning kegalities when land is involved.


The rest I agree about.
(Although for me  I can find it ok to live in rental a while, BUT there are no rentals I like where I want to live, only huts   

FYI / Just Saying     : In the Philippines both hoarders & squatters have rights and are protected by the law.

manwonder wrote:

FYI / Just Saying     : In the Philippines both hoarders & squatters have rights and are protected by the law.

Yes. If they have stayed long enough time and used the property WITHOUT being caretaker for the land owner. 
So better have caretaker agreements with them      so they can't force the owner to give away land for free.

((We looked at a 20 hectares real estate, which have 5 squatters,. If we would have went for buying it, then we would have checked first how big parts the squatters have right to take allready and made deals with them so they can't take any more,  but we skiped that real estate  because  the costs was to high and we found others without that problem. Although one of them we are thinking of have one not owner living at a corner of the real estate. If we will o for that as the third, and if we find that family reliable enough, we will employ them to keep an eye on things and the squatter problem is solved.  It's located close to the other two, so they can keep an eye of all three from their home.))

Hello. Can you tell why not open a business in Fili. I am in the middle of a re-locating process. I think I have covered all aspects if living in the Filippines but your “bold” statement made me contact you. Rgs Mik

Edit:  Oh I didn't notice this bussiness question was in the flat topic   

Batmobil wrote:

Hello. Can you tell why not open a business in Fili. I am in the middle of a re-locating process. I think I have covered all aspects if living in the Filippines but your “bold” statement made me contact you. Rgs Mik

Almost all have that oppinion. 

Officials make it hard:
/See my topic about problems to just get a business registered, because of incompetence amon officials.
It was SIXTEEN steps to get  a business registered. Reduced now - a bit...   
So not odd many Filipinos do it illegal without registering... 
Registrator told us they had NEVER got any application for such business as ours in their whole municipaly, although I know there are many there, because we are in negotiations of buying 2 - 4 of them   
/Demans of CRAZY many permits. E g one business typoe need around 40 permits from start to earning!!!
/Corruption.  A Filipino business owner told me he had to pay 40 000 to get a lorry load of his own made products from  his place to city.
Custom have realy screwed up for both importers and exporters sharging high storage fees during the delays. Sometimes is reason to make owner give up so the custom can get the goods for free...
By permits need to be renewed every year, they csn easy STOP a leit business. E  g a common Filipino got very big problems to get reneval because he was TO GOOD.  His first year he made so all except 3 of the around 10 there had closed.  Remaining was one owned by a local powerful who mae the troubles to get reneval. I lost contact with that Filipino., so I don't know if he got forced to close or not.

I'm tryiing anyway. I like challenges   

- -
Some foreigners HAVE succeed though. Them I know of are:
/through internet.  Tiny businsses but can be good earning per hour.
/One of houndreds - well a few more  - have ok results (before covid) within tourism and bars. Many failures expected, because many without business experience believe they can become successful bar owners by they have been frequent bar customers!!!   
/the big successes have beem within PRODUCTION.

FortuneFavorsTheBold wrote:

Yes, you do realize that 100,000 pesos is a little bit over $2,000 USD right? Perhaps you meant $100,000?

Old post but yes, it seemed that he was talking in USD.

I will just mention that some foreigners I know build or buy a place so that when THEY die, their Filipina will have something to live in. The likelihood of the (usually younger) Filipina wife dying first are probably pretty low. It's a reasonable thing to do to plan for her future, especially if she gave up her prime years to be with you.

Its easy to look up online the laws about ownership in the Philippines.Unless you are a Philippines born citizen you just cant own land here-just the home on it or house if you choose to build. She signs for it even tho foreigner pays the money. If she should die the home you payed for isnt yours-it goes to her family.If your marriage goes south she will get most of everything. Philippinas know this and plan a head to marry the foreigner, She knows she will get it all or most of it. I have an American friend  I met  here in Baguio city 9 years ago and he was married to a Philippiina, Because there is no divorce here(annulment only after 7 years) she took him to America and divorced my friend there, He had 3 pensions,She got one third of everything. Then he was wacko enough to go out and marry another Pinay about 7 years ago. I havent seen him since then.All I know is he bought her a home. Hope he  is ok and hope hes not broke from another divorce.Hes a nice guy-maybe too nice!..Pinays can be manipulative!..My Ex was....Jimmy

You keep repeating this post about your "friend" who got taken advantage of. I'm sure he's not the only one, but guess what..  it happens in the US too!.. but many happy guys have worked all of this out with their Filipina wife or GF. I bought my GF a beautiful piece of land in the province, that we might or might not build on. It didn't cost much, and now she has something of value for her future. If we build on it and live in it she will get even more, but I have no issue with that and most guys I know don't either. It is a fraction of what a home costs in the States. Even if our relationship ended for some reason I won't resent it. One guy I know in Panglao built a small resort for his wife and daughter, haha. It's right on the ocean, and they will always have income that way.

capricornrising wrote:

Its easy to look up online the laws about ownership in the Philippines.Unless you are a Philippines born citizen you just cant own land here-just the home on it or house if you choose to build. She signs for it even tho foreigner pays the money. If she should die the home you payed for isnt yours-it goes to her family.

If it is so easy, why don't you read it correct then?   

As I wrote - When wife die, then the FOREIGN HUSBAND inherrit WHOLE if she has no kids and ALLWAYS more than half when there are kids Then the foreigner get some time to solve the owning because the foreigner can't*  CONTINUE have land in his name.

(* Except if it's through a company and the emans are fullfilled which are some coomplicated.)

capricornrising wrote:

If your marriage goes south she will get most of everything. Philippinas know this and plan a head to marry the foreigner, She knows she will get it all or most of it.

Read the quote of law I wrote.

capricornrising wrote:

after 7 years) she took him to America and divorced my friend there, He had 3 pensions,

That's OTHER situation than what's bought with assets from BEFORE marriage, by can be seen as mutual money, I suppouse.

capricornrising wrote:

Then he was wacko enough to go out and marry another Pinay about 7 years ago. I havent seen him since then.All I know is he bought her a home. Hope he  is ok and hope hes not broke from another divorce.Hes a nice guy-maybe too nice!..Pinays can be manipulative!..My Ex was....Jimmy

Sure some are.
Well. Some never learn       Don't you mean he bought THEM a home?

Good luck cyclest! Life is all about choices we make! There are always consequences!

pnwcyclist wrote:

. I bought my GF a beautiful piece of land in the province, that we might or might not build on. It didn't cost much, and now she has something of value for her future. If we build on it and live in it she will get even more, but I have no issue with that and most guys I know don't either. It is a fraction of what a home costs in the States. Even if our relationship ended for some reason I don't resent it. One guy I know in Panglao built a small resort for his wife and daughter, haha. It's right on the ocean, and they will always have income that way.

Yes 
PART of reason I even started  thinking of starting new business in Phils, not just live of retirement pay, was to provide wife and kids - and grandkids     - with income AFTER I'm dead.   

Plus I aim at geting money to a better house by it before I die too   

capricornrising wrote:

Good luck cyclest! Life is all about choices we make! There are always consequences!

(OMO) My way of looking at things here is being able to 'write off' stuff.
Anything/Everything I own here I take it as if its all on a long term lease, the only difference being is that you pay a lump sum up front prior enjoying the fruits of the lease.
Huge Land/SimpleHouse/Multicab/Spot Lights/Laser lights & all the rest mostly inexpensive stuff.
Firstly I will NOT break my bank to buy anything here because I know  circumstances can change & so can the feelings of people around you.
So far I've had my truly 'cheap' happiness/freedom/living out my simple life in this deprived province.
All I can hope for now is that all this lasts a little longer (total 8 yrs & counting) the longer it lasts the cheaper it actually becomes  .... I've seen sincere commitment from my much younger partner/family members in preserving/maintaining/budgeting whatever we have...so YES most definitely I'll let her have it all when its over....as she's earned it.
Again omo.

the best business in the philippines is NO BUISSNESS !!!
the local will assale you and you cant make money , they will copy your buissness !!!!
only if your work is online with other country,,,,or a big francize
they will eat you a live with all kind of taxes and fine,,,lol

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mikebrant1973 wrote:

the best business in the philippines is NO BUISSNESS !!!

Well. Some SUCCESSFUL foreign businessmen don't agree, If they would have thought as you, then they wouldn't have earned much, - which they have   

mikebrant1973 wrote:

the local will assale you and you cant make money , they will copy your buissness !!!!
only if your work is online with other country,,,,or a big francize
they will eat you a live with all kind of taxes and fine,,,lol

Well. Yes, allways - almost     
Except not geting to much copyied if
1. A to big investment needed for common Filipino (and business types the rixh Filipinos don't like, often by needed location)

or
2. Start something almost no Filipinos know how to do.  Them I have found:
/A common business but almost no  Filipinos know how to do it effective.  (As such I'm buying  cheap tto solve the mess they have made).
/Two production businesses, which almost no one know what it is even if they see the product      
I don't know now, but some years ago there weren't any such production in Phils, all imported, inspite of there are raw material in Phils, although need to be researched what it would cost to gather and transport.